Super A-Mart chief executive officer Eddie MacDonald said yesterday Ballarat would be its first regional Victorian store.

“We are excited about opening a store in Ballarat to offer locals a wide range of quality products at a lower price than other retailers,” Mr MacDonald said.

“We’re looking at recruiting 30 people in Ballarat to service the new store before the start of trading.

“Our strong supply network and experience means we will be able to offer local customers quality products at lower prices than other retailers.”

The 5140-metre store in Gillies Street will stock Super A-Mart’s complete range of furniture, bedding, outdoor furniture and homeware products. Super A-Mart is Australia’s largest discount furniture and bedding retailer, with 33 stores around Australia.

Mr McDonald said the Ballarat store played an important role in the company’s expansion into Victoria.

“Victoria is a key part of our growth strategy – we believe there is enormous potential for continued growth in this state, both in the greater Melbourne area and regions.

“The Victorian economy continues to perform strongly with enviable retail spending and home building metrics, making it an attractive location for the growth of our store network.”

State manager Gavin Ryan said the former Bunnings site was ideal for a retailer of their size.

“It was the perfect location for us,” Mr Ryan said.

Ben Farrell will be the local store manager, with advertising for the 30 new jobs to begin in the next few weeks. While no opening date is yet known, it is expected to be in March.